Seamless-tube-drawing mechanism.



PATENTED OCT. 18, 1903.

P. PATTERSON. SEAMLESS TUBE DRAWING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

Zvderzfarr V2450 UNITED STATES Patented October 13, 21903;

PATENT EEicE.

PETER PATTERSON, OF MOKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL TUBECOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SE IAMLESS-TUBE-DRAWlNG MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. $41,369, dated October13, 190 3.

Application filed June 28, 1901.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER PATTERSON, a resident of McKeesport, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in' Seamless- Tube -Drawing Mechanism; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, and exact descriptionthereof.

My invention relates to mechanism for drawing tubes from cup-shapedblanks, and more particularly to mechanism for drawing large and heavytubes from cup shaped blanks in which the mandrel or punch is pivoted tothe pushing mechanism, so as to be capable of being swung to one side toreceive the cup-shaped blank.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide suitable mechanism forso swinging the punch or mandrel to one side to receive the blank andthen swinging the same back into line with the dies.

A further object of my invention is to so construct the frame forholding a series of dies that it can be more accurately, quickly, andcheaply made than the usual frames for holding a series of (lies.

I11 the manufacture of seamless metal tubing one method consists inforcing a planchet or cup-shaped blank through a die or series of diesby means of a reciprocating mandrel or punch, the operation beingrepeated through dies of decreasing diameter or through a series of diesof gradually-decreasing diameter until the cup-shaped blank has beendrawn down to the desired thinness of walls and length of tube. It iscustomary in horizontal draw-benches of this type to hinge the mandrelor punch to the pushing mechanism, so that it can be swung to one sideto receive the cup-shaped blank, it being swung sidewise by hand. Thismethod of drawing seamless tubing necessitates powerful mechanism, andthe mandrel or punch is necessarily very heavy, so that considerabledifficulty has been experienced in swinging it outwardly to receive theblank and back again into line with the dies. As a consequence the sizeand weight of the mandrel have been limited, thereby limiting thesize,weight,

and length of the tubing to be drawn, it hav- Serial No. 66,369. (Nomodel.)

in g been impracticable in former apparatus to swing a mandrel-bar ofsufficient size to draw very large and heavy tubing. Furthermore, if thecup-shaped blank is heated, as it must be for making most forms of heavyand large tubes, it is essential that it be gotten onto the mandrel andinto the dies as quickly as pos sible, so as not to lose the heat. Thequicker this is done the greater will be the reduction of the blank orcup in the dies. With the old hand appliances it is difficult to swinthe mandrel or punch back into line with the dies with sufiicientrapidity to prevent loss of heat in the blank, so that the greatestpossible reduction of the same 011 the dies is not se cured. The timenecessary to swing the mandrel or punch back into line with the dies bythe old hand appliances is liable to vary considerably with differentblanks, so that uniformity of output is not obtained.

One of the objects of my invention is to overcome these difficulties andto provide apparatus whereby very large and heavy tubes can be drawnfrom cup-shaped blanks with ease, rapidity, and uniformity. To this endit comprised, generally stated, in combination with a drawing-presshaving a mandrel or punch hinged to the reciprocating mechanism, ofmechanism whereby the mandrel. or punch can be swung to one side toreceive the cup-shaped blank and then swung back quickly into line withthe dies in position for the reciprocating mechanism to force themandrel or punch and blank through the dies.

In drawing tubing by the above-described method from blanks which areheated prior to drawing it is desirable that the blank be forced througha series of dies of graduallydecreasing diameter at a singlereciprocation of the mandrel or punch, so that the said blank may begiven a number of reductions and brought down to the desired gage at asingle heat. It has therefore been the practice to use a die-holdingframe having a series of seats for receiving one or more dies, asdesired, the common practice being to form said frame as a singlecasting provided with a series of seats. As these seats must be formedaccurately, it is necessary to machine the same; but by reason offorming the seats in a singlev block or casting considerable difficultyhas been experienced in doing this. Special tools or machinery arerequired, and even then the process is slow, tedious, and veryexpensive.

Another object of my invention is to reduce the expense of constructingsuch dieholding frames and to provide a frame for holding a series ofdies which can be more accurately and cheaply made than the old form offrame.

To this end it consists in making such frame of a series of blocks orplates, each of which is provided with parallel flat faces, one of whichserves as a seat for the die or dieholder, so that said seat can bereadily machined on an ordinary planer, suitable means being providedfor securing said series of blocks together to form a frame having aseries of seats for the dies or die-holders.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view, partly insection, of my improved drawing-press. Fig. 2 is a side view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion of the mechanism on an enlargedscale. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 4, Fig. 1; and Figs.5 and 6 are transverse sections through the dieh0lder.

The pushing or reciprocating mechanism for the mandrel or punch may beof any desired or preferred construction, that shown comprising ahydraulic or other power cylinder 1, in which works a suitable piston,the rod 2 of which is adapted to impart the required reciprocatingmotion to the mandrel or punch 3, the latter being hinged to the saidpiston-rod on a vertical pivot 4, so that the said mandrel or punch canbe swung to one side, as shown in Fig. 1. The end of the power-cylinder1 is suitably connected to the frame or standard 5, and the latter inturn is connected by means of the tie-rods 6 to a frame or standard 7 atthe opposite end of the drawbench, said tie-rods being supported atintervals, as required, by the standards or brackets 8, which are soconstructed as not to interfere with the swinging of the mandrel orpunch to one side. These tie-rods also serve as a support for the end ofthe piston-rod 2, the latter being provided with rollers or othersuitable guiding devices 9 and 10, which travel between the tie-rods 6.The die-holding frame 11 is connected to the frame 7 by means of thetie-rods 12 and is supported at its rear end in any suitable manner. Bymeans of the tie-rods 6 and 12 the dieholding frame 11 is tied firmly tothe power-cylinder 1, so that displacement of the parts relati ely toeach other is impossible.

In order to swing the mandrel or punch 3 to the side, as shown in Fig.1, I provide suitable reciprocating mechanism for engaging the saidmandrel or punch and carry the same to one side in order to receive thecup-shaped blank 13 and then to carry the mandrel or punch back intoline with the drawing-dies in the frame 11. I have shown mechanismsuitable for this purpose, the same comprising a carriage 14, moving ona track 15 011 the floor or foundation of the mill and to one side ofthe draw-bench, and suitable mechanism for moving said carriage-such,for instance, as the reversing hydraulic or other power cylinder 16. Thecarriage 14: is provided with a suitable rest or support 17, 011 whichthe mandrel or punch is supported, and with suitable means for engagingsaid mandrel or punch, so that the latter is forced to move with saidcarriage, this means, as shown, comprising a block or fork 18, hinged tothe carriage in the lugs 19 and having the arms 20, which are adapted toreceive the mandrel or punch between them. This block or fork isprovided with a handle 22, by means of which it can be swung into thevertical position (shown in Fig. l and in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3)to engage the mandrel or punch or dropped to the horizontal position,(shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,) so as to be out of engagement withthe said mandrel or punch. The carriage is provided with suitable wheels23, which move on the tracks 15, said wheels being to the rear of themandrel-support 17 and fork 18, this being necessary for the reason thatthe lower tierod 6 interferes with the inward movement of the carriage,and the latter must be so constructed that the portion carrying themandrel-support and fork can be projected underneath the mandrel in thespace between the same and the lower tie-rod 6. For this reason the saidcarriagebody projects in front of the supporting-wheels 23, as shown.The operation of this part of the mechanism is as follows: WVhen it isdesired to place a cupshaped blank 13 onto the mandrel or punch 3preparatory to drawing the same in the dies in the frame 11, thecarriage 14, with the block or fork 18 in its horizontal position, ismoved forward to project said carriage underneath no the mandrel 3. Thefork is then swung to its vertical position, so that the arm 20 thereofwill engage the mandrel or punch, and the power-cylinder 16 is reversedto move the carriage outwardly, bearing with it the mandrel or punch,which rests on the seat or support 17, and carrying the same into theposition shown in Fig. 1 to have the cup-shaped blank 13 slippedthereupon. The power-cylinder 16 is then again reversed, moving thecarriage inward and carrying the mandrel or punch into line with thedies in the frame 11, when the fork 18 is dropped to its horizontalposition, so as to be disengaged from the mandrel or punch, and as soonas the latter has been I moved far enough forward by the pushingmechanism to engage its forward end with the die or as soon as the saidmandrel or punch has been otherwise supported in line with the die-as,for instance, by means of a suitable support or frame which can beplaced between the tie-rods 6-the power-cylinder 16 is again reversedand the carriage withdrawn from underneath the punch and out of the wayof the pushing mechanism as it moves forward to force the blank throughthe dies.

scribed is repeated.

The die-holding frame 11 is provided with a series of seats 25, wherebyany desired number of dies 26 up to the number of seats in said framecan be placed in said frame, these dies either bearing directly againstthe seats 25 or being held in suitable holders 27, which bear againstsaid seats, as is the common practice in the art. To secure a proper andfirm seating of the dies or dieholders on the seats 25 with their. axescoinciding exactly with the axis of the punch, it is necessary that theybe accurately shaped. To facilitate this work, I construct the frame 11of a series of blocks 28, each of which has its faces 29 and 30 parallelto eachother, so that said faces can be readily machined, as by means ofan ordinary metalplaner. The faces 27 of the several blocks form theseats 25 for the dies 26 or die-holders 27. Each block is provided onits rear face with a recess 31, which is curved on its lowerside, asshown, and in which recess the die or dieholder rests. The stripper 32is also placed in one of these recesses and rests either directlyagainst the shoulders or againsta supplemental frame 34:, placed in saidrecess. It is not necessary, however, to machine these recesses, as thedies will naturally center themselves under the action of the mandrel orpunch, it merely being necessary that the seats 25 be accurately formedin order that the dies may be firmly supported and with their axesexactly coinciding with the axis of the mandrel or punch. It will beseen that as these seats are formed on the flat faces of the blocks 28no difficulty in properly machining the same will be experienced, andinasmuch as the two faces 24: and 30 of the blocks are parallel to eachother they can be accurately machined down, so that when said blocks aresecured together all of the seats 25 will be exactly parallel with eachother. These blocks are united by any suitable means-such, for instance,as the [tie-rods 12, passing through suitable holes formed in theblocks; but any other means suitable for this purpose can be employed.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- 1. In a drawing-press,the combination with a die and pushingmechanism, of a mandrel or punch hinged to the pushing mechanism, meansmounted for engagement with and disengagement from the mandrel or punch,and mechanism for moving the same transversely of the mandrel or punch.

2. In a drawing-press,the combination with a a die and pushingmechanism, of a mandrel or punch hinged to the pushing mechanism, acarriage mounted to-move transversely of the mandrel or punch, and meanson the carriage for engaging the mandrel or punch.

3. In a drawing-press,the combination with a die and pushing mechanism,of a mandrel or punch hinged to the pushingmechanism, reciprocatingmechanism mounted to move transversely of the mandrel or punch, and afork hinged on the reciprocating mechanism and adapted to engage with orbe disengaged from the mandrel or punch.

4. In a drawing-press,the combination with a die and pushing mechanism,of a mandrel or punch hinged to the pushing mechanism, of areciprocating carriage mounted at one side of the drawing-press to movetransversely of the mandrel or punch and adapted to project underneaththe same, and means on the carriage for supporting and engaging themandrel or punch.

5. A die-holding frame comprising a series of blocks each provided witha die-seat on one face thereof, and means for securing said blockstogether.

6. A die-holding frame comprising a series of blocks each havingparallel meeting faces and a die-recess in its rear face, and means forsecuring said blocks together.

In testimony whereof I, the said PETER PATTERSON, have hereunto set myhand.

PETER PATTERSON.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. ToTrEN, G. KREMER.

